days Like this
by yellow river nerf herder
Summary: AU. It was simpler back then, before, before, before. Sakura wishes it had stayed that way.


******(i)**

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**days**like_this__**.**_

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_and so it_ begins, began, be**gun**

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**Alt(univer****se) high school and coursework and caffeine and team 7 introspection  
**_meaning__:_ severe sasunarusaku, senior sensei kakashi and a dab of sai (because i _can_) and death and cussing like a top sailor and ramen flavoured ice cream and unnecessary tangents from yours truly  
(**note**) i started writing this at the end of my summer vacation. _go_ figure. this might turn into a chapter-story, if i don't lose motivation.  
respect the rated**m**—trust me, it'll get _there_ :)  
**don't own naruto**

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**S**ummer nights are sweltering and sweet in Konoha City—'Almost as bad as suna heat, _ne S_akura?' 'You _idiot_, nothing's as bad as Suna heat' 'Hn'—so Sakura and Naruto but not Sasuke buy (_Y__es_ Naruto, they have orange jelly and _ick_, is that … _ramen_ flavoured ice cream? That can't be the newest flavour, that shouldn't even _be_ a flavour) jelly and ice cream, something simply Konoha and something she's missed dearly. And Naruto and Sasuke, like strawberry jelly and french vanilla ice cream, are something simply Konoha, something she's missed dearly, desperately, in that godawful Suna heat.

She misses them—Naruto—when her father carries her and Mrs. Haruno-the-fifth to lunch, anywhere you want today, sweetie, so she picks a restaurant they've passed by because of the **W****orld-famous ramen and miso** sign out front. Sakura orders ramen ('Ramen? are you sure Sakura—you can order _anything_, it's on your old dad today,' 'If she wants ramen, she _wants_ ramen. I'll have a salad, french vinaigrette, thanks,') because for some reason, she's been craving ramen, instant-homemade-vending machine ramen, something fierce. And when the waiter sets down the steaming bowl with cautions of it being hot, Sakura nods, but doesn't even wait until the waiter is gone to break apart her chopsticks and, and, it doesn't taste _right_. It doesn't taste good, at all—it tastes like water, hot water with spices thrown here and there (not a savoury broth, just boiled clear spice water) and Sakura thinks, this place has _nothing_ on Ichikaru's.

She misses them—Sasuke—when Mrs. Haruno-the-fifth takes her out for a day of shopping and souvenir scouring, although Sakura won't be buying any of the **A**** close friend went to Suna and all they bought me was this (merchandise) **and **C****atch some sun-a** _**in**_ **S****una** t-shirts, mugs and key chains that tourists seem to buy up like onigiri. 'Isn't there _anything_ you see that you like? Look here, these trinkets are pretty, aren't they?' Sakura has to give the fifth props, because at least she's tries, _plus_, she's prettier than the third (that's for sure). However, Sakura shakes her head, and the fifth sighs. 'A_lrighty_ then, I just have to do some grocery shopping, and then we'll catch the bus back,'

'There's no point in you coming in, I'm just getting a few things, okay? Here's some money if you want some ice cream, or soda, Sakura. I'll be in there if you need me, I won't take long' The automatic doors slides open (maybe she should go in, it is air conditioned in there, and oh, does it feel good) then the fifth's gone, goes off to whatever aisle with a list in her hand. Sakura could get a soda, razzle-dazzle raspberry or gregarious green apple, or an ice cream cone, but rainbow sprinkles cost fifty cents more than what the fifth has given her and—

**Come one, Come all!  
****Today's ****sale:  
****Tomato****es**

reads the wooden sign above a grocer's stall. Plump, round, red and green, polished in the sun. Residents here, even _with_ a sale, don't seem to want tomatoes. Sakura herself plucks them out of her sandwiches when her mom buys subs late-night from a shop, and Sakura wonders how Sasuke can consistently eat them every afternoon for lunch. Doesn't he tire of tomatoes? (Sakura would) but this is S_asuke_, those are tomatoes and it just _is_. A thermos of homemade tomato soup, a baggie of cherry tomatoes, tomatoes in perfect slices—'Ah, Sakura, I'm done—you've found somethi… these are _all _tomatoes … You should've told me you wanted some and I would've bought them for you. You've gone and spent all your money. You can't give your friends tomatoes as souvenirs,'

'I, just really wanted tomatoes (but I can't explain why, because you wouldn't understand) and—sorry,' The fifth sighs, then smiles because she's trying, look, she is trying, and says, 'Here, I'll hold them. We can make spaghetti, have a whole Italian theme this week; I make a killer sauce, what d'you say?'

She misses them, both of them, misses ramen and tomatoes and bright orange and dark blue, curled up on the sofa. It's action week—and Italian pasta pizza week—so a movie with ninjas and swords and cliché-after-cliché is playing. Sakura doesn't catch the name, but knows if she asks about a princess named Sayuri, a samurai named Jin and samurai Jin's rival—in love and in swordsmanship—Nobu, Naruto _will_ know the movie. It is a movie that Naruto would drag them to, a ridiculous named movie like **Temptation of A Samurai: Forbidden Jade Petals**, and gets them kicked out of forty-five minutes later. Sasuke will 'Hn,' annoyed but not because he was _not_ enjoying it, hands shoved in his pockets, and Sakura will say, soda and bits of popcorn clinging to her shirt—it's a old tattered shirt, because Sakura knows better when it comes to Naruto—'Naruto, you got us thrown out, why can't you _ever_ shut up?'

'But Sakura, that guy started with _me_! Seriously … I'm hungry; let's go to Ichikaru's. _S__asuke_,'

'**_N_**_**o**_,'

'Why not, asshole? Sakura paid last time and I'm _broke_ ('Naruto, you and broke are _practically_ synonymous,'), so _c'mon_, you're richer than the two of us put together, filthy stinkin' **U****chiha** rich—you live in a mansion, your dad's the head police guy, your mom's freakin' _superwoman_, and your brother … well, I don't know what your brother does, but c'mon, pay for lunch. I'll never ask you for anything again,'

Sakura's kind of, sort of (awfully) hungry too because Naruto gets her thrown out before she can even reach for popcorn, the bucket tumbling onto the carpet beneath them, but she'd never admit it. Her stomach rumbles, thunderous lion hunger, oh, she is _starving_ (and because she does not completely know better, she doesn't pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a pack of chips or even grapes) and Naruto grins. 'See? are you going to let Sakura _starve_, asshole?' Translation: I win.

'… Fine,'

Sakura turns off the tv and sits by the window until it's time for dinner.

* * *

'Sasuke,' Sakura says, 'Don't you want some?' (**_no_**) 'Don't you at least want to try it?' (**_hn_**) 'I bet if it was tomato flavoured, you'd want it then, speaking of which, Naruto, that _is_ disgusting—'

'Tastes pretty good to me, here Sakura, try some,'

'No, no, _**Naruto**_—'

'_O__w_, Sakura, you're so rough,'

'A_nyways_,' Sakura ignores Naruto, 'we're here—'

Here is the Haruno's apartment. It's orderly, unlike Naruto's apartment, but barely any space for anything, unlike Sasuke's mansion—and the three of them file into the kitchen-living room, Sakura (it's her turn to wash dishes), Naruto (to raid her pantry because Sakura has the _good_ stuff) and Sasuke (to sit). It's quiet, with the occasional slamming of cabinets and on-off-on-off of water. '… Ketchup chips?' Naruto cocks his head, peering at the bag closely, sniffing it, '_ne_, Sakura-chan, can I open these?'

'_N__o_, give it to Sasuke, I bought them for him in Suna,'

Naruto pounces on Sakura, bag tossed in Sasuke's direction—Sasuke catches it. Inspects the lettering and Sakura hears the crinkle of the material and that potato chip bag _**pop**_—'What'd you get me from Suna? I bet it's not some _stupid_ ketchup chips (crunch crunch _crunch_) right Sakura?'

'Uhm—' Sakura bites her lip. Think, Sakura, think because Naruto's _real_ present was an orange t-shirt with a red frog on it except her dad took a liking to it and wore it all around the house and she couldn't go back out because all her money ('Sakura? Oh, you're on the phone? I'll leave this here—we're going shopping tomorrow around ten, okay? Don't stay up too late talking,') was all gone, spent on frog t-shirts and ketchup chips and fridge magnets and she still had to pack for her flight tomorrow.

'Here,' Sakura grabs a mug, freshly washed, and shoves it into Naruto's hands.

'_W__ow_—no way, look asshole, it has a sun with sunglasses and it's grinning and there are birds and _everything_. I am using this all the time. This is way better than your ketchup chips, Sakuraloves me more. Jealous, Sasuke?'

'I am very_ jealous_, Naruto'

'You hear that, Sakura? Sasuke asshole's jealous,'

'_**Hn**_,'

What Sasuke doesn't say—and what Sakura _won't_ say—is that that mug used to be her dad's. Father's day, age six, bought at a ceramic's store with her mom, it is definitely _not_ brand new. That her dad had used that mug every morning (6 am) before dropping her off at school, that her mom has used that _**ungrateful, see how ungrateful he is Sakura? he's run off and forgot all about (us, you, me) this mug. i'm glad i didn't pay that much ($12.95) for it, gotta go Sakura**_ mug, Sakura has used that mug, visitors have used that mug—at least he can be reassured that strangers _haven't_ used his mug, although the thought briefly crosses her mind that Naruto may not know everyone that she knows. _C'__mon_ Sakura, this is Naruto, everyone knows Naruto—and Naruto has used this mug. Requested it, even and almost dropped it more than once.

'_Wait_ a minute, Sakura—?'

'Let's all go watch a movie, yeah? _Yeah_.'

'But—'

'Naruto, you can pick. Go ahead, I'll make the_ ramen_,'

'YEAH! IN YOUR FACE SASUKE, I GET TO PICK THE MOVIE THIS TIME,'

'Smooth, Sakura,'

'Oh, _shut up_,'

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**I**t's past eight, past the _acceptable time_ for Sasuke to be out (ha ha ha, Sasuke has a _curfew_) but _theoretically_ Sasuke's not outside. he's here, with Naruto and Sakura (_**always**_ with that Uzumaki kid and Haruno girl, Mikoto, when he should be studying) in her room, on her bed. It's past the acceptable time for Sakura to have guests—anyone, but what her mom means by anyone is _boys_—over when her mom isn't here, but her mom's either coming or going, and tonight she's going, money's here on the counter Sakura, love you, so _theoretically_ Sakura would've asked if her mom wasn't so busy, and really, it's not that big of a deal. Naruto has no curfew, _just don't_, he said and Sakura hasn't asked since, figures it's better not to ask why.

'I can't wait for high school. This year, I am going to be _the_ _man_. Girls are gonna be _fainting_ for me, Naruto Uzumaki, Konoha's _numbero uno_ ladies man!—Sakura, stop laughing. You're so mean,'

'I—auhm, I _wasn't_ laughing at you—'

'Yes, you were Sakura,'

'I _**was**_ not,'

'Hn,'

'**H****n**,'

'The two of you are so immature,'

'… what? _**What**_? How am _**I**_ immature. If anyone's immature, it's _**YOU **_Naruto. I can't believe you just, _you_—I'm going to sleep,'

'Great going stupid, now we'll never hear the end of th—'

'—SO HELP ME IF YOU DON'T—'

'… You're an idiot, Naruto,'

'What did I do? Guys? Guys? _seriously_—'

'SHUT UP!'

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**I**n the blue hue of the tv she'll turn off in a few minutes, lying in-between Sasuke, who kicks her (he'll swear he doesn't come morning) and Naruto, who snores and drools and tends to roll over into her _personal space_'s personal space (he'll swear he doesn't come morning, then ask why his eye is black), Sakura wishes for _this_—the sleepovers, the ramen Mondays (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays), the _N__o_, We are _not_ having ramen, because Sasuke and I are sick of it Fridays, all of it—to never end.

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_**b**_e c_a_**r**_e_f_**u**_l **w**h_a_t _**y**_ou w**i**_s_h _**f**__o_r

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i so did _**not**_ borrow those ******Temptation of A Samurai: Forbidden Jade Petals** names from **m****emoirs of a geisha**, **samurai champloo**, or **NANA**.  
somehow, suna became this summer vacation town version of Canada—or _wherever_ ketchup chips are sold  
i **can't** write sasuke (or naruto, or sakura), because i've never written team 7, so he is resigned to '_hn_' and '_no_'  
will be edited and updated soon :)


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